


you might be left with my hair, but you'll have your mother's eyes

by timefornothing



Series: a small bump in the road [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, F/M, Fluff, M/M, harry has baby fever and it's adorable, liam's a dad, lou is still a saint, side larry stylinson - Freeform, spiderman - Freeform, still not sure if this is an au oh well, taylor is the kid and he's adorable, thank god for liams mom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-04-02
Packaged: 2018-01-17 21:14:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1402663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timefornothing/pseuds/timefornothing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Is Mommy with Lilo's mom?" Taylor asked suddenly, quiet voice breaking the silence. Liam froze, eyes trained on the screen where Lilo was showing Stitch the picture of her parents. His hand didn't move from Taylor's head as he whispered back, "Uh, yeah. Yeah, she is, Tay."</p><p>Taylor nodded slowly, asking, "Is she happy?"</p><p>Liam felt a thickening in his throat, willing himself not to cry like a baby. "Yeah, I think so."</p><p>"Good." Taylor snuggled closer into Liam's side, arms wrapping around his waist. "Mommy was sad all the time, even when she went away. 'M glad she's happy now." He settled in deeper with a sigh, and was asleep within minutes. Liam remained awake the entire rest of the movie, holding the boy as close to his side as possible and sincerely doubting how he had ever considered letting him go.</p><p> </p><p>or the one where Liam's slowly adjusting to life with his new son and things get even crazier</p>
            </blockquote>





	you might be left with my hair, but you'll have your mother's eyes

**Author's Note:**

> yipee this is part two!
> 
> if you haven't yet, go read part one because that'll make a lot more sense
> 
> larry and zerrie get more involved here ayooo
> 
> and taylor becomes even cuter, if possible.
> 
> enjoi !!!

The next morning, Liam awoke to the sounds of pans being set on his stove. Which was really unsettling, considering it was his house and he lived alone and why on earth would a robber be trying to cook right now?

He sat up from his bed on the couch, rubbing at his eyes. A glance at the digital clock beneath his TV revealed it was just after eight in the morning. He turned and looked behind him, and in a rush, it all came back to him. Anna, the girl currently cooking, who had stayed the night last night because he was afraid Taylor would start crying again if she left. Taylor, his son. _His son._ He groaned, reaching to pull a shirt over his head. He sat for a moment more, watching Anna search the kitchen for the food he and his mom had bought the previous day, humming quietly to herself as she cooked. His sweatpants were hanging off of her hips lowly, the edge of her tank top just barely hitting the top of the pants. Was Taylor really the only reason he had asked Anna to stay?

Of course it was, he scolded himself. Things ended with Sophie a few months ago--and quite messily, if he does say so himself. She had gone ranting and raving, accusing him of cheating and proceeded to throw things. In fact, it had gotten so bad that he had Danielle take Loki for a bit, just in case. With that shitshow done and over with, he wasn't sure he wanted to enter into anything anytime soon. Especially now that there was a kid involved.

Would Taylor like Loki? 

"You're up!" Anna chirped, eyes bright as she looked over from the coffee maker. Liam nodded, continuing to walk into the room and seat himself at the bar. "Didn't expect you to be awake for another hour or so, you had a rough couple days. Not to mention you just finished out a tour."

Liam smirked, scratching at his unshaved face. "Yeah, I thought I'd sleep longer as well. Turns out I can't when someone's rummaging around my cupboards."

She turned to look at him, alarm on her face as she poured the coffee into a mug. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

He smiled, making her relax. "No, no, don't worry. If I get tired, I can just nap later while Taylor's watching Lilo and Stitch again." Anna giggled, and Liam narrowed his eyes. "Would you mind pouring me a--oh, thank you." He stopped, accepting the mug of coffee from her. 

"Kind figured you'd want some." She smiled, then turned to pour herself a cup. "Do you have sugar somewhere?" Without waiting for a response, she opened the cupboard in front of her, finding it on the first try. After fixing her coffee, she returned to cooking and mixing the pancake batter, and Liam watched her with a smile on his face. She started humming again, focusing on getting the sausage in the pain and seemingly forgetting Liam was there. It wasn't long before the house was filled with the smell of it, making his mouth water. It also wasn't long before he heard little footsteps coming down the stairs.

Taylor came around the corner, dragging his blanket on the ground behind him and rubbing at his eyes. "Hey, bud!" Liam called softly, extending a hand in his direction as Taylor yawned. "Did you sleep good last night?" Taylor nodded, letting himself be picked up and set on Liam's lap as they sat at the bar. He leaned his head on his arms, the blanket falling across Liam's knee.

"Are you makin' pancakes?" Taylor yawned again, and Anna smiled over her shoulder at him.

"I am! Just like I promised." Taylor nodded his approval, then turned on Liam's lap to look at him. "Dad, I had the coolest dream last night."

"What was it?" Liam asked him, catching Anna's smile and shooting her one in return.

"I was Spiderman, and I was zooming around the city--" He continued his ridiculous story, complete with sound effects and hand motions, telling about how he saved Aunt Perrie from a falling tree. Liam played along, gasping at the right moments, and enjoying how Taylor's face brightened a bit more each time he did.

"Sounds like someone has a favorite superhero." Anna commented, shoveling some of the pancakes onto a few plates. 

"Anna, I told you yesterday." Taylor groaned, leaning forward onto the marble counter. "Spiderman is the _coolest_."

"Oh? And what does your dad say about that?" She asked, setting the plates in front of them. Taylor eagerly climbed onto the chair next to Liam, grabbing at the fork.

"Dad? Who's your favorite superhero?"

"I'm actually pretty partial to Batman."

"Is that why you have a picture of him in your room?" Taylor asked through a mouthful of sausage, and Liam wondered vaguely if three year olds could have sausage. But Anna didn't seem too concerned, so he let it go. 

"Yeah, it's a movie poster. Maybe we could watch one of those today." Liam told him, and Anna's eyes widened as she corrected, "One of the cartoons, yeah." She gave Liam a look, mouthing, _So violent!_ and Liam only grinned in response.

Pancakes were a big hit with Taylor, and he ended up eating three of them, and managed to get himself and and surrounding area covered in syrup. Anna only laughed, cleaning him off with a wash cloth and making faces at him when he tried to squirm out of her grip. Liam did the dishes quickly, putting the leftover pancakes in the fridge. He was finishing the last sausage when his phone started ringing, and wiped his hand on his pants before answering, "Hullo?"

"Liam, hey." Zayn spoke quickly, as if he were being rushed. "Hey, just wanted to give you a heads up. Perrie flipped when Anna told her where she was last night and she's on her way over and I thought maybe you'd need a heads up?"

Liam laughed, looking over to where Anna was trying to convince Taylor he needed a bath. "Honestly, there's nothing too crazy going on over here. I appreciate it though."

"Oh, alright. Hey, we just stopped at a Starbucks, you want anything? Perrie's already going nuts, so you might need some caffeine to keep up with her. I know I do."

He smirked down at the mug in front of him before replying, "Already got some, thanks. Anna made breakfast and coffee this morning."

"Oh, did she now?" Came Zayn's voice, and he could hear the smile in it. "Sounds like you're moving into the domestic life pretty easily. Now, is Anna the nanny or the wife?"

Liam groaned, and groaned again when he heard Perrie in the background, "Oh my God! Are they datin' already?"

"We're not dating!" He whispered, moving into the dining room and away from the stairs where Anna was tickling Taylor. "I mean, yeah, she stayed last night, but it was just because Taylor didn't want her to leave."

"Oh, yeah, blame it on the kid." He heard Perrie snort over the phone. "You're a great dad already, Liam."

Liam sighed, rubbing his face. "Just, go ahead and come in when you get here. I'll see you then." He hung up before Perrie could make another joke, setting his phone down and moving over to where Anna had Taylor on the floor, laughing hysterically while she shouted, "You little dork, come on! Bathtime!" Taylor continued squirming and laughing, shouting, "Dad! Help! Help!" 

"Oh, I'm gonna help." Liam told him, reaching down and grabbing him before slinging the small boy over his shoulder. "Come on, upstairs!" Taylor screeched, kicking his little feet as Liam carried him up and towards the bathroom. Once he was in the bathroom, Anna began running the water, and Taylor frowned, seeming to accept his fate and that the bath was unavoidable.

"Spiderman doesn't take baths." He said grumpily as he sat in the warm and bubbly water ( _Nice touch, Anna,_ Liam thought). 

Anna snorted, reaching for Liam's shampoo. "Oh yes he does. Aunt May makes him take baths all the time." Taylor stuck his tongue out in response, and Anna mimicked him, making him giggle when she dumped the water over his head. Liam sat back on the toilet lid, watching with a smile. He'd have to learn how to do this, he realized. Taylor seemed hopeless in baths, sticking to playing with the bubbles while Anna washed him off.

"Payno! We're here!" He heard Zayn call, and Taylor looked up with wide eyes. "Who is that?"

"The bath police." Anna whispered, and Taylor giggled, throwing bubbles at her when she laughed. She dumped more water over his shoulders, saying, "It's Aunt Perrie and Uncle Zayn. They came to hang out with you today."

"I brought presents!" Perrie shouted, and Taylor immediately moved to get out of the bath before Anna shoved him back down.

"Oh, no you don't! No presents until you're done with your bath. Liam, can you grab him a towel?" She asked, and Liam nodded, grabbing one from the hall closet and tossing it to her before going down the stairs. "Hey guys!" He smiled at them, brushing a few bubbles off of his sleeve. "Sorry, Taylor's up there getting his first bath."

"Aw, is he really?" Perrie cooed. "Did you get any pictures?"

Liam stopped, thinking about it. "Uh, no, actually. I haven't taken any pictures of him."

Perrie's mouth dropped open and Zayn laughed at her expression. "It's your first kid and you haven't got any pictures of him? Liam! I'm disappointed in you!" She sighed, turning and setting her coffee cup and bags on the bar. "Really, I can't believe you don't even have one." Then she stopped, catching sight of the fridge. "Oh my God, he drew you pictures?"

Liam smiled, "Yeah. Unfortunately, he's a Spiderman fan. So that could cause some problems."

"That's Marvel, bro. What about DC?" Zayn asked, settling onto a barstool, and Perrie immediately groaned. "Okay, yeah, no. I don't want to sit here and listen to comic book arguments. That's what you have Louis for." She turned to look up the stairs. "Anna! When can I meet him again?"

"In a minute!" Anna called back down. "We're trying to get dressed! Liam, what drawer are his shirts--nevermind, he found them!" Just a few seconds later, Taylor came bouncing down the steps, freezing when he saw Zayn and Perrie sitting there. Eyes wide, he grabbed at Anna's hand, and she led him forward, saying, "Come on, let's go see Aunt Perrie."

"Hey Taylor!" Perrie greeted, crouching down. "Remember me?"

Zayn snorted when Taylor nodded, "Course he does, Pez. He met you yesterday." Perrie scoffed at him, then turned back to the boy. "I brought you some presents! Wanna see them?"

"Perrie, don't tell me you're spoiling him already." Liam laughed, leaning next to Zayn at the bar. 

She grinned at him, "That's my job! Come on, here you go." She kneeled on the ground next to him, handing him the bag. He took it warily, only opening it when Anna smiled and nodded at him. He sat, face lighting up when he saw what was inside.

"Crayons!" He pulled out the big box of 96 crayons, hugging them to his chest. Anna started laughing, "Look how excited he is!" 

"There's one more thing in there." Perrie smiled, pointing at the bag. Taylor set the crayons aside, then pulled out a large piece of paper, mounted on a few pieces of wood.

"What is it, Taylor?" Liam asked, trying to look over Perrie's shoulder. 

"Spiderman!" He shrieked, then turned it around, fingers pointing at the canvas. "Look! He's shooting webs!" He made the sound effect, and Anna looked up to Zayn with wide eyes, "Did you draw that?"

Zayn nodded, a small smile on his face. "Pez told me last night about his obsession. So I thought I'd give him something to make his room a little more exciting." Liam grinned and clapped him on the back, looking back to Taylor. "Wanna go hang that up in your room, bud?" Taylor nodded quickly, and Anna looked up.

"Oh, speaking of that." Her brow furrowed. "He had like, no clothes, even with what your mom brought over. Do you want me to go shopping for him?"

Liam started, "Oh, you don't have to do that--" But Zayn interrupted, "Why don't you both go?"

"Yeah, Anna's gonna need to get some of her stuff if she keeps spending the night." Perrie smirked, and Anna's eyes widened.

"Oh, um, no. I don't think I'm staying here again."

Taylor looked up with wide eyes, quieting his Spiderman sound effects. His voice wavered as he asked, "You're leaving?" He sounded on the verge of tears, and Liam went into panic mode again, almost sprinting over to Anna's side.

"No, no, Taylor, it's okay!" He said quickly, "Anna's gonna stay as long as she wants to, right? We just need to go get some of her stuff, so we'll be back soon! Right Anna?" He looked at her desperately, shooting a glare to Zayn and Perrie who were sharing a knowing look. 

"Uh, yeah, I guess." Anna gave him a funny look, then looked down at Taylor. "Aunt Perrie and Uncle Zayn are gonna watch you for a couple hours, okay? Your dad and I need to go get you some clothes and stuff." Taylor nodded, and Liam let out a shaky breath. Crisis averted. "Lemme get dressed, and then we can go." She told Liam, heading upstairs quickly. Liam nodded, watching her go, then turned to find Zayn, barely holding back a smile.

"She can stay as long as she wants?"

Liam rolled his eyes. "You sound like my mum." Perrie started laughing, pulling Taylor upstairs to go hang the picture in his room.

 

*****

 

"Why'd you get a hotel so far away?" Liam asked, following Anna into the elevators. 

She smiled, "It's closer to Zayn and Perrie's place. Sorry, didn't realize I'd actually be spending the next few weeks at your place." 

He rolled his eyes, "Taylor obviously likes you hanging around. Honestly, I think it's helping him adjust to living here. You know, having a motherly figure around. I don't know what I'm gonna do when you leave." Anna laughed, letting them into her room. Once they had her things and she had checked out, they proceeded to the nearest children's clothing store, Liam ducking his head every time someone walked by. They grabbed shirts that looked like they'd fit, or ones that they thought he'd grow into. More than once, Liam called Lou to ask what size clothes to buy. They got him another Spiderman t-shirt, and in response, Liam grabbed a Batman one, convinced he could change his son's favorite superhero. Anna helped pick out some toys for him, and more bedsheets, since the ones he had currently weren't exactly "cool" to a three-year old. By the time they were done shopping, they had everything they could possibly think of, and Liam was convinced he wanted Anna to stay around as long as possible.

She knew exactly what she was looking for and got them in and out of every store as quickly as possible, all while making Liam laugh with her jokes and stories. In fact, she had put him in such a good mood that by the end of the trip, she had him discussing what kind of cake to get Taylor for his birthday. He told her he had no idea what to get him for his birthday, and she had a few suggestions that he liked. When they were pulling up to the building, Liam was almost sad that their little outing was coming to an end. He followed her into the elevator, captivated by her laugh and blue eyes as she teased him about the new shoes he had gotten Taylor. 

The elevator doors opened, and Liam frowned, seeing Niall standing outside of his door. "Niall? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hey!" Niall turned around, bright grin on his face. "Louis invited me over" He held up the cases of beer, and that was when the door opened, revealing Harry standing in his comfy sweater and socks.

"Liam! Anna! You're back! Niall, you made it!" He greeted brightly, gesturing for all of them to come inside. Anna smirked at Liam and he shook his head, following his friends inside his house.

"Dad!" Taylor cheered from the living room. "Uncle Louis is showing me fifa!"

"Oh God, you're getting him started on that game already?" Liam groaned, setting the bags on the kitchen table. Louis merely laughed, poking at Taylor and saying, "This time I'm gonna beat you, I swear!" Taylor laughed loudly, and Liam could see Perrie and Zayn seated on the couch behind them, Harry and Niall walking over to the room to take a seat with beers in their hands, handing em out to the other people there.

"So, who's idea was it for the party?" Liam asked casually, putting the beers in the fridge. He offered one to Anna, then grabbed one for himself and a juice box for Taylor. They walked over to the living room, sitting on the floor next to Taylor and Louis.

"Well, we were having fun, then Harry called and said he wanted to see him, so I invited them over and they invited Niall." Perrie explained, taking a sip. "Figured we might as well invite em all over."

"Yeah, to my house." Liam scoffed, and Anna nudged him with a smile. "Come on, they're just excited to meet Taylor!"

"Some more than others." Louis offered, throwing a teasing look to Harry over his shoulder. Harry merely grinned, drawing up one leg and setting his chin on his knee. 

"Heyyy." He looked down at Taylor, "I can't help it he's cute. He is my nephew, after all. I just wanna scoop him up."

"That's Liam's kid you're talking about, Harry. Kidnapping is illegal, mind you." Louis snapped, eyes still focusing on the screen where his and Taylor's players were going at it. He was letting Taylor win, obviously, but Liam smiled every time Taylor cheered after scoring a goal and Niall would lean over to give him a fist bump (They taught him to fist bump already? His uncles were going to be a horrible influence). 

The day continued on, Taylor and the other boys switching off who was playing. (Taylor took turns very well, reminding Liam of his own days as a kid.) Taylor thought Louis and Niall were absolute gods at the game, and soon liked watching better from either Anna's or Liam's lap. Around six, Perrie and Anna went to the kitchen to make dinner, Harry following shortly after. When the chicken was cooked and dinner was ready, Liam opened a couple bottles of wine, and everyone stayed until nine, and Taylor was asleep on Anna's lap by then. She took him upstairs to put him in bed, and as soon as she was around the corner, Niall smirked at Liam, "So. Anna."

"What about her?" Liam said casually, and Louis snorted.

"Please, Perrie told us about how you practically begged her to move in." He took another drink of wine, Harry finishing for him, "I don't think you can just brush that off as a completely platonic request."

"Can't I?" Liam argued, sticking his lip out. "Taylor needs a mom around, at least for the first couple weeks. It's helping him adjust and whatnot. Anna's done a great job helping out and stuff."

"And stuff." Louis muttered into his wine glass, and before Liam could respond, Niall was talking again.

"All I'm saying is, if that's your intentions for her, good. Just don't go getting attached, or getting her attached. No fuckin' the nannies." He shrugged. "But, if you do wanna keep her around, she might be a good addition. I already approve."

Harry and Zayn nodded, and Louis frowned. "Well, my opinions still in the air. Yes, she's funny, and cute, and good with kids, but it is awfully soon. I need to wait and see if she's the real deal."

Perrie grinned, "She got Liam to discuss birthday presents for Taylor after only a couple hours."

Louis and Harry's mouths dropped open. "Planning that far ahead? She got him to make plans?" Louis turned and beamed at Liam, "Okay, yes. I approve. Keep her. Keep her forever." Harry laughed, slinging an arm around Louis.

"I think Louis' had enough wine. Maybe I can get him to discuss adopting our own kids when we get back." Harry waggled his eyebrows, and Niall laughed, "Oi, that's gonna be the only thing he'll talk about for weeks!" Louis groaned, "Don't I know it."

Once Harry and Louis had their jackets on, everyone else decided that it was time for them to head out as well, and Anna came back down just in time to hug Perrie and Zayn goodbye. Once they were gone, she and Liam returned to the kitchen, putting empty bottles in the trash and packing up what was left of the dinner. 

"Hey, looks like you'll have leftovers if you ever end up being the one to make dinner." Anna teased, and Liam just shook his head, a fond smile on his face. He looked up at the bottle of wine sitting on the counter, then reached out for it.

"Want to help me finish this? There's no point in re-corking a third of a bottle." Anna smirked and pushed hers and Liam's glasses over to him, putting the others in the dishwasher. They finished the wine off quickly with a few recounts of the events of today, and just as Liam was about to head over to his couch, Anna stopped him in his tracks with one sentence.

"You can sleep with me, you know."

He spun around, eyes wide, and Anna burst out laughing at the look on his face. "No! Oh God, Liam." She laughed again, "Not like that! I meant, we're two adults, I think we can share a bed without a problem. I feel bad you're sleeping on your own couch, and I don't want you to do it for the next few weeks."

Liam blushed, embarrassed that that had been the train of thought his mind had automatically went to. "Oh, um." He looked out the couch, then allowed himself a small laugh. "You know, I think I'm gonna take you up on your offer. That does sound pretty nice." He followed Anna up the stairs, politely looking away when she changed into her pajamas. As he sunk down onto his preferred side of the bed, he sighed in relief. He was definitely in need of a good night's rest.

The first weekend was absolutely insane. Harry was there nearly every day, offering to take Taylor to the park or to the movies or even to have him come stay the night, although Liam assured him he was only saying no because Simon said no to going out in public (and also to try and save Louis' sanity). Liam had Lou go shopping for him when he needed it, although the only form of payment she would accept would be to have Anna watch Lux while she went out that Monday. Taylor and Lux got along crazy well, and it was hard to separate the two at the end of the night. Tuesday, Liam had a radio interview with Louis, and when he got back, Harry and Zayn had made their way over to the apartment and were coloring with him while Anna was napping upstairs. Wednesday was a calm day, involving mostly decorating his room and more movie watching, and Thursday, the Sharpie incident happened.

Anna came downstairs and smiled at Liam, who was on the phone with Simon. She mouthed, _Where's Taylor?_ to Liam, who pointed behind him at the table while writing down instructions. Apparently, someone had released pictures of him and Anna shopping that first day and he needed to handle it this weekend on an interview. Anna nodded and walked behind him, and Liam nearly dropped the phone when she screamed.

"Taylor! Oh my God!"

Liam spun around to see Anna sprinting over to him, grabbing at his arm where red was smeared all over. Liam's mouth dropped open, and he told Simon, "I'm sorry, I'll call you back." He dropped his phone and ran over just as Anna sat down on the floor heavily, hand clenching at her chest.

"It's red sharpie, it's just sharpie." She breathed, patting Liam's leg when he crouched down beside her. "He's just got Sharpie all over him." Liam sighed in relief, looking at the streaks and scribbles covering the boys arm. "Taylor, where on earth did you get a sharpie?"

"On the table." He answered quietly, obviously afraid he was going to be in trouble. 

Liam shook his head with a smile, "You can't use sharpies, T. They're permanent."

"Which is why you also can't draw on yourself with them." Anna reached out and held Taylor's arm in front of his face. "Why'd you do this?"

Taylor looked at his feet, mumbling, and Liam told him, "Hey, Taylor, look at us." With a biting of his lip and more blushing, Taylor finally looked up.

"I wanted drawings like Uncle Zayn's."

Anna's eyes widened, then she burst out laughing, Liam quickly following suit. Taylor watched them, obviously confused and Liam shook his head.

"Taylor, those are tattoos. See? I have some." He held out his arm for Taylor to inspect. "They're permanent, and you can't get them until you're older."

"Why?"

"Because it's a big deal, and little kids can't make big decisions like that." Anna told him. Taylor shuffled his feet, then asked, "Are you mad at me?"

"No, sweetie. But, you do have to be punished." Anna told him, making his eyes grow wide again. Liam watched her, concerned. What was she going to do?

"Because of this, you have to take a bath."

Taylor's eyes widened, and before he could run away, Anna had her arms around him, tickling him as she lifted him up. He screamed with laughter, reaching out to grab Liam, who only ducked and allowed Anna to take him up the stairs, laughing as she heard him splashing in the bathtub later on. It seemed Anna had completely changed his opinion of baths, as he was now a lot more willing to take them. Not only that, but he had gotten better at saying please and thank you. Not for the first time that week, Liam found himself wondering what on earth he was going to do once she had gone.

The next day was Friday, and Anna had plans for dinner with Perrie, Zayn and her mom that night. The entire day she hung out with Taylor to make up for it, and as soon as she had gone, Taylor was already looking worried. In order to help calm him down, Liam offered to watch Lilo and Stitch with him, a decision he regretted once they started the movie for the third time.

It was near ten at night, and Taylor was pressed up against his side, sleepy eyes struggling to stay awake. Liam continued petting down his hair, absentmindedly paying with his curls as he continually glanced at the clock, knowing Taylor would try and refuse to go to bed as long as Anna wasn't home.

"Is Mommy with Lilo's mom?" Taylor asked suddenly, quiet voice breaking the silence. Liam froze, eyes trained on the screen where Lilo was showing Stitch the picture of her parents. His hand didn't move from Taylor's head as he whispered back, "Uh, yeah. Yeah, she is, Tay." Was this how he was supposed to go about it? How the hell do you talk to a little kid about their mom dying?

Taylor nodded slowly, asking, "Is she happy?"

Liam felt a thickening in his throat, willing himself not to cry like a baby. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good." Taylor snuggled closer into Liam's side, arms wrapping around his waist. "Mommy was sad all the time, even when she went away. 'M glad she's happy now." Another few minutes had passed, and he could tell Taylor was on the verge of falling asleep when he said, "Anna looks like her. Is she my new mom?"

Again, Liam searched for an answer. "Do you want her to be?"

Taylor nodded. "She colors with me, and she's nicer than Aunt Perrie." Liam smiled, rubbing Taylor's shoulder. 

"We'll see. Alright?" Taylor nodded, sniffing a bit before tucking his feet under him. He settled in deeper with a sigh, and was asleep within minutes. Liam remained awake the entire rest of the movie, holding the boy as close to his side as possible and sincerely doubting how he had ever considered letting him go. 

Anna arrived home not too long after the movie ended, rubbing Liam's head with a whispered, "Hey, sleepyhead. Want me to take him up?"

Liam shook his head, slowly gathering Taylor in his arms so he didn't wake him up. "No, I got him. How was dinner?" He stood, following Anna up the stairs as she turned all the lights off.

"Good! Perrie wouldn't shut up about Taylor." Anna mumbled, opening Taylor's door for Liam. "Zayn talked quite a bit as well."

"Really? Zayn was talking?" Liam asked sarcastically, making Anna cover her mouth so her giggles didn't wake Taylor. Liam kissed him on the forehead after tucking him in, then closed the door after Anna walked out. "But you had a good time?"

"Yeah, yeah." Anna's voice was louder, now that they were in their room changing. Funny how he had come to refer to it as their room, not his. Not only that, but Anna was much more open with him now, making the conversation move more easily between them. Liam moved it, loved learning more about her. "They took me to a really good place. Too fancy though, can't remember how to pronounce the name."

Liam laughed, climbing into bed and grabbing his phone. Anna settled in beside him, now in her pajamas, and settled underneath the covers. "Did you have fun with Tay?"

Liam snorted as he scrolled through his twitter feed, "We watched Stitch three times in a row, no breaks. That was all he'd do without you here." He didn't tell her about Taylor asking about his mom, or about asking Anna to be his new mom. He decided he'd keep that to himself for now and hoped Taylor didn't say anything to anyone.

Anna let out a short laugh, voice quieter as she settled down. "'S a good movie. Good kid." She rolled over, facing Liam as her eyes drifted closed and she fell asleep. Liam watched her for a second, then smiled to himself and set his phone on the bedside table for the night. Sleeping in the same bed, a kid in the other room, and Anna getting up to most likely make breakfast in the morning. Without even realizing it, he had done just as Zayn had said. He was slipping into the domestic life almost seamlessly, effortlessly. Feeling the heat radiating off of her legs, so close to his, he couldn't help but think that it was all thanks to her.

 

*****

 

He woke up in the morning much earlier than he had planned. He cracked his eyes open and saw Anna slipping out of the room, closing the door soundlessly behind her. He squinted at the clock, reading that it was 7, and groaned, rubbing his eyes. Why was she up so early? Taylor didn't even get up until almost 8 on most days.

Pulling on a pair of sweatpants, he walked downstairs, jumping when Anna spun around with her eyes wide.

"Oh," She breathed. "Okay, it's just you. I thought it was Taylor." She turned back around, going back to--wrapping a present.

Oh God.

It was Taylor's birthday, and Liam had completely forgotten.

"Shit..." Liam breathed, coming up to stand next to Anna, who snorted, "Don't tell me you forgot it's his birthday."

"Actually..." Liam scratched the back of his neck, and Anna laughed quietly, bumping him with her hip. 

"Good thing we got him his present a week ago, right?" With that, she placed the last piece of tape, looking up over her shoulder at Liam. He smiled down at her, nodding. Seriously, what would he do without her? Anna blinked and looked away, and Liam cleared his throat, realizing he had been staring.

"Uh, we're doing pancakes this morning, right?" He asked, moving over to the fridge. 

Anna nodded, placing the present in the hall closet, up where Taylor wouldn't see it until later. "Yupp! And everyone's gonna start getting here around four. Louis and Harry will be here first, cuz they're bringing the cake. Your mom and sisters will be running a little late, since they're carpooling and Nicola's gotta get off work. And..." Anna paused, brow furrowing as she watched Liam for a minute. "And I think that's it. Your mom and sisters said they were only gonna stay until cake and presents were done. I think Niall said he was planning on drinking so much he wouldn't be able to go home." Liam laughed, pulling out the skillet.

"Are Lou and Tom coming?"

"Yeah!" She smirked, "Did they not call you yesterday?" Liam shook his head, and she shrugged with a mocking smile, "I guess they like me better then!"

Liam pinched her hip as she walked by, smirking at her squeal of protest. "They always like the nanny better." Together, they got breakfast ready, and Taylor was down at 8 o clock, right on the dot. Liam wondered if he had some sort of internal clock that woke him up on time every morning. Anna put a candle in his stack of pancakes, letting him use whipped cream since it was his birthday. Liam almost melted at the sight of his face when he realized they were chocolate chip pancakes, and he gave Anna a look that clearly said, _You're the best._

She merely stuck her tongue out at him.

Anna let Taylor stay in his pajamas until two, then went to give him a bath while Liam finished cleaning up downstairs. Once Taylor was clean, he went over to the table to color, and Liam sat at the bar and watched Anna get everything ready for dinner. Taylor had requested spaghetti, of course. He watched her move around the kitchen to the music she was playing, offering answers when she asked questions such as, "Does this taste alright?" or "Do you think everyone will like it?" He sang along loudly with her, even dancing a little with Taylor when he came over to see what all the fuss was about.

Just before four, Louis and Harry showed up, and Louis was obviously angry about something.

"You have no idea how aggressive the paparazzi can be around a bloody cake." He grumbled, following Anna over to the counter where he sat it down. Harry just laughed at him, going over to hug Taylor and see what he was coloring. People trickled in group by group after that, with Liam's family arriving last. Lux and Taylor pretty much remained in the living room, playing with the few action figures and trucks Liam had bought him when they went shopping the week before. The girls were in the kitchen with the wine Liam bought and the guys all stood and sat either on the balcony or at the dining room table. To Anna's relief, dinner was a success, as was the cake ("Spiderman! He's so cool! Thanks Uncle Louis!"), and when everyone gathered around to sing, Liam found himself sliding up just behind Anna, one hand loosely holding the beer and the other sliding around to rest on her hip. She looked up at him, then smiled, leaning her head back on his shoulder as everyone sang. Taylor loved the cake, and continually told everyone that his Uncle Louis had gotten it especially for him. 

Presents were next on the list, and it was easy to see that Taylor was more excited than anyone had seen him be the past two weeks. Liam nudged Anna every time he said thank you to whoever got him the gift, and she bumped him right back. Zayn and Perrie gave him another hand-drawn poster for his room, Liam's mom got him more t-shirts and a Spiderman blanket, Louis and Harry and Lou all pitched in and got him a vast array of comic book action figures, and Taylor tried to stop everyone right then and there so he could get them out and show Lux. Niall gave him a soccer ball, and Taylor's eyes shined the brightest when he opened the gift from Liam and Anna.

"Is this so Stitch has a brother?" He asked, holding up the stuffed animal Liam had found at one of the stores. It was the yellow alien, experiment 625 if he remembered right, (Anna confirmed, saying his name was Reuben) and Anna had thought that it was adorable. Anna nodded, and Taylor held it above his head, shouting, "Ohana!" Then jumped off of his chair to run and hug Anna and Liam's legs. Karen cooed, and Harry took probably sixty pictures of Taylor on his phone the entire night. 

Around nine, Liam's family and Lou and Tom had all gone, and Taylor was snuggling with Reuben on the couch while watching the movie. Niall was finishing off what was left of the spaghetti, and Louis was nursing well past his third drink.

"You two have raised a very polite child." Louis informed them, leaning heavily onto Harry, who laughed. "So nice, all night long. Said thank you for the cake probably forty times. Love him."

"Well thank you." Anna laughed, again looking over to Liam, "He does take after his father."

Perrie giggled, "That he does. Congratulations, Lili!" Niall reached over to shake Liam's hand, who only laughed and said, "Alright, you all have had enough to drink. I'm cutting you off before Louis turns this conversation south."

"Who says I'd do that?" Louis squawked. "I was just going to congratulate you on your gentlemanly sperm!"

"That." Liam pointed, giving Anna an unamused look. "That right there is what I was trying to avoid."

"Aw, Li, I'd take it as a compliment." She smiled, using her hip to hit his, just as they had all night. Liam counted it as one of their things they did, so in response he wrapped both arms around her waist. Maybe he had had plenty to drink as well. "Yeah, well, it still feels dirty coming from Lou."

"Anna, I'm tiiiired!" Taylor called, sliding off of the couch with a loud thump. He walked over rubbing at his eyes, and Anna smiled, sliding out of Liam's embrace to pick him up. "Wanna go to bed, bub?" He nodded, and Anna turned them around, "Say goodbye and thanks for coming to your party!" 

Taylor waved, tired voice mumbling, "Fank youuuu!" Before leaning his head onto Anna's shoulder and closing his eyes. Anna smiled at Liam, then turned and walked up the stairs.

"Have you fucked the nanny yet?" Niall asked, tacking a burp onto the end. Perrie's mouth dropped open and she slapped his shoulder, "That's my cousin you're talking about!"

"It's a fair question!" Louis told her, defending Niall. "They have been awfully touchy all night." 

Liam rolled his eyes, "We're just being friendly. She has been my roommate for over a week now." Zayn and Harry both raised their eyebrows at him, and he raised his arm in a surrender gesture. "What? I'm serious! Nothing's happened!"

"And nothing's gonna happen if you keep denying it." Louis snapped, making a face. Liam glared at him, and he shrugged. "I'm just saying, she's worth it. Why not try it out?" Everyone turned to Liam, waiting for a response, but he had none. Instead, he just looked down at the bottle in his hands.

"Sheesh, who's the Debbie Downer in the room?" Anna asked as she was walking back in. "It's so quiet in here."

"I think we're all getting a bit tired." Harry answered, and Perrie yawned seemingly on cue, giggling. "I think we all better head home." Everyone hugged each other, and Anna thanked everyone multiple times for coming. Louis, who had also apparently noticed, whispered to Liam, "Seems Taylor's picked up a few habits from his new mommy as well." Liam shoved him away, tossing a glare that held no malice behind it. Everyone was out of the house, and Liam turned around, staring at only his bottle and Anna's glass remaining on the bar.

"God, it's quiet." He commented, walking forward. She nodded, yawning. 

"I think I like your place better when there's a ton of people in here talking." She told him, leaning sideways against the bar with her hip pressed on the lower part of the counter. Liam laughed, coming up behind her and encircling her waist once again.

"Yeah, me too. Let's throw a birthday party every weekend." He rested his chin on her shoulder and she froze, barely breathing. Liam stayed there for a moment more, and finally she began to relax, leaning back into him.

"Well, we can have a second party tomorrow. There's more than enough cake for it." She said quietly, hands settling over Liam's. He smiled, closing his own eyes as he hummed in response. They remained that way for a moment more, swaying in the kitchen, then Liam straightened up, turning her around as he did so. Her blue eyes stared up at his, bright and wide and unsure. 

He smiled softly down at her, fingers twisting gently in her dark brown hair, "You know how to throw a great party. I think everyone enjoyed themselves."

She smirked, her own expression softening. "Well, thanks for providing a place and a reason to. I'll be glad to do so in the future." She set her hands on his shoulders, another smile directed at him, and that was all he needed. In one swift motion, he had leaned down and pressed their lips together, arms going back around her to pull her closer to him. 

He pulled away after a few seconds and set his forehead against hers. "Was that alright?"

She nodded, eyes still closed and said breathlessly, "Yeah, yeah. More than okay, actually." She laughed, pulling back. "It's late, and you've gotta be up early for that interview tomorrow. Let's get to bed, yeah?" Liam nodded, planting one more kiss on her cheek and following her up the stairs. As they walked into the bedroom, he pulled out his phone and sent to the group text the boys all had, _"Might want to change my answer about us not doing anything yet..."_ Then he locked the screen, smirking as he imagined their faces when they read the message. He climbed into bed, pulling a grinning Anna closer to him so that she was pressed against his chest, and fell asleep quickly, Anna's warmth lulling him into a deep sleep. His hand gripped hers tightly, images of the giant smile Taylor had when opening his presents replaying over and over and over.

 

_"You're gonna be a big star, I know you will." Carly whispered, nudging her mouth once more against Liam's bare collarbones. He laughed, pulling her closer to him before responding, "And you'll be right there beside me."_

_She paused, lifting her head to look back up at him. Her deep blue eyes always seemed to shine, brighter than anything Liam had ever seen. He ran a thumb over her lips, pressing them together, then leaning back and entwining his fingers in her dark brown hair. She watched him for a moment more, then pressed a lingering kiss to his mouth before whispering, "It's late. Let's go to bed, yeah?" He nodded, pulling her tighter against him as he fell into a deep sleep._

_When he woke up in the morning, she was gone, the bed cold. He tried calling her multiple times, but every time, the mechanical voice just told him that the number had been disconnected. He tried calling for a week, then finally allowed himself to cry, once and only once. How could she leave after all of that? He had loved her!_

_Three days later, he tried out for the X Factor. He made it through, soon met Danielle, a dancer, and willed himself to forget about anything and everything that had to do with Carly Bayer._

**Author's Note:**

> seriously though thank you all for reading this
> 
> there'll probably be one or two more parts idk yet
> 
> depends if you guys keep wanting to read daddy liam or not (i personally love writing it)
> 
> so LET ME KNOW
> 
> yeah love you all have a fantastic day <3
> 
> find me on tumblr at southwestvirginia


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